Face it, when it comes to gluten free pasta alternatives, a proper, creamy risotto is hard to beat. It’s also one of those notoriously fussy and difficult-to-make dishes that people only enjoy when someone else makes it. The time and attention—the constant stirring, the adding of stock one ladle at a time until the grains are plump and al dente—can be intimidating enough that only the bravest of kitchen novices and bored of kitchen pros will even attempt it. Putting all of that aside, what if we told you that one simple kitchen hack can put perfectly cooked risotto on the table in under 15 mostly hands-off minutes? Intrigued? When we first came across this pressure cooker technique in Modernist Cuisine a few years ago, we were as intrigued as we were skeptical. Shortly thereafter, though, we saw the same method being employed by Mark Bittman over at New York Times Cooking and that was really all the convincing we needed.
His recipe was for a Porcini Risotto with Peas, but we wanted to focus more on the technique than the flavors, so here is a stripped down, plain risotto that you can adapt to your heart’s desire and turn your midweek dinners into fancy, pinkies up affairs with game-changing ease. Consider this a “blank slate,” or a Tabula Rasa-tto. *snort*
Once you’ve mastered the basic version, feel free to incorporate whatever add-ins you want. Potential flavor variations can start with the stock, depending on your main course. You can use beef, lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetable stock and build from there. You could even use yet another Bittman recipe featured on this blog, the Ridiculously Simple Mushroom Stock, for a quick and easy vegetarian dinner option.
For an even bolder option that will pair nicely with heartier fare, you can also substitute the white wine with a nice, complex red. (Malbec, anyone?) Make sure you use a good quality wine, since you’ll only be using a bit of the bottle for the risotto and will be forced to drink the rest, either while you finish preparing dinner or while you eat. The way we suffer for our art…
The technique is fairly simple. Heat oil in the pot of a pressure cooker on high for a minute or so, add the scallions and cook for a minute, stir in the arborio rice and stir to coat, cooking for 30 seconds, pour in the wine and cook until absorbed (another 30 seconds or so), then add in the stock all at once, stirring again to scrape up any rice sticking to the pot. Put the lid on the cooker, seal it and bring it to full pressure. Once pressure is achieved, reduce the heat just enough to maintain pressure and cook for four minutes.
You can depressurize the cooker quickly by removing it from the heat and running it under cool water until it quiets down. Be careful to tilt the pot away from you when you release the lid, as there will be a fair amount of steam. Safety first. Return the uncovered pot the medium high heat and stir until the excess moisture has cooked off. This won’t take long, and from here you can add salt and pepper to taste, then fold in the grated parmesan.
The risotto should still be a little loose when you serve it, so don’t be alarmed if you have to splash in a little more stock to achieve this. Also, don’t worry about the finished risotto being too soupy. It will continue to absorb liquid as it cools, and the addition of the cheese will thicken it a little further. You now have a basic risotto that took no time at all and is just longing for your creative touch.
Some versions we’ve served in the past include blueberry (which is a luscious deep purple color and is sinfully good topped with sliced buratta cheese), or a lovely pumpkin version that makes a wonderful, savory addition to Sunday roast chicken dinner. The possibilities are endless. The beef and red wine version is a fantastic base for our Braised Short Ribs, and a pecorino and sun-dried tomato version would go beautifully with a batch of Chicken Meatballs. You could also add in a little butternut squash and fresh thyme, then top it with our Mushroom Fricassee for a spectacular Meatless Monday option. We’re thinking that a Manchego and Chorizo version will crop up on the dinner table sooner rather than later in these parts. Did we mention that the possibilities were endless? We’ll keep you posted. Now get out there and get creative! No pressure…
Adapted from New York Times.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 cups broth
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon sliced scallions, for garnish
- Heat the oil in a 2½-quart or larger pressure cooker. Add the scallions, and cook over high heat for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the rice, taking care to coat it with the oil. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the wine. Cook over high heat until the rice has absorbed the wine, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, taking care to scrape up any rice that might be sticking to the bottom of the cooker.
- Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Reduce the heat just enough to maintain high pressure, and cook for 4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Quick-release the pressure by setting the cooker under cold running water. Remove the lid, making sure to tilt it away from you to allow the steam to escape.
- Set the cooker over medium-high heat, and stir vigorously. The risotto will look fairly soupy at this point. Boil while stirring every minute or so, until the mixture thickens and the rice is tender but still chewy, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with a little diced scallion. Pass extra Parmesan at the table.
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